Washing machine



July S, 1933. A. F. VBRO-rz 1,918,832

WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-1 Wl TNESSES ATTORNEY July 18, 1933.' A. F. BRoTz l WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1928 4. Sheets-Sheet 2 T /NVENTOR July 18, 1933. A F BRG-rz 1,918,832 I WASHING- MACHINE WITNESS/Esk July 1s, 1933.

A. F. zRoTz 1,918,832

`WASHING MACHINE -Fled Deo. 1, 17, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 5

f Il

"s 4 "IIIIIIIIIII 1,14

lllll-Illlnllll lll".

WITNESSES 49 LWZ/@Www that will be small cept for its 3 at reasonable cost.

heated Julyis, 1933 UNITED `s'rAlEs PATENT OFFICE AN'roN rmx Btir@ or xonLEn,

WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 KOHIB COMPANY, -O

KOBIJER, WISCONSIN, .A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN WASHING 'MACHINE Application led December This invention 'relates to washing machines ofthe domestic laundry type and has for its object to provide-an electrically driven machine having'a unitary power plant which 5 is self-contained and may be-readily assembled with the -container and impeller mech- Lanism.

A.Another object of the invention is to provide a power plant for washing machines and compact, that will re 'quire infrequent greasing, freedom from the intrusion offoreign matter and which will be silent in its operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 15 vide such a power plant for washing mafor attachment .Another object of the invention is to provvide a wringer mechanism with safety device for preventing its operation in'other than predetermined angular positions.

With the above and other objects in view -the invention consists in the washing machine las herein claimed and all equivalents. Referring to the accompanying drawings,

d in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in different views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a washing machine constructed in accordance with this mvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central sectional elevationV thereof on the plane of -the wringer drive;

Fig. 4 is av detail view, partly in section,

'of the motor and the gear box with the cover plate removed;

17, 192s. semi m. 326,600.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation ofthe wringer driving mechanism and lock;

Fig. 6 is an end view thereof; Y Fig. 7 is a view of thelocking mechanism L functioning to prevent the operation of the wringer in a position other predetermined positions; Fig.- 8 is a sectional wringer clutch, and Fig. 9 is a detail view ofthe locking clutch handle..

ln these drawings,15 indicates a container, i Y

preferably with a porcelain enameled lining and with a hinged cver 16, andI having on its centrally sloping bottom a vertical supporting angc 17 by means of which it is attached -to variously shaped leg members `1.8, l9 and 20, mounted on adjustable casters 2l and cgnnected together by a cross-shapedspider 2 v The centrally sloping bottom of the container l5 has a central flaring opening in which is fitted a disk-shaped vmounting plate 23, which is clamped in placeby screws 24` connecting it with a clamping ring 25 fitting beneath the edge of the opening. rlhe edge of the opening in the bottom of the container is thus 'clamped between the feathered edge of the mounting plate 23 and the clamping ring with'a filling of plasticsealing material 26 between them. In the center of the mounting plate is fitted an upstandin'g stationary tube 27,'in` which a vertical shaft or spindle 28rotates with-a driving pinion 29 on its lower endV neath the mounting plate and with driving connection at its upper project ing end with an impeller 30 fitting thereon than one of itsl plan view of the' and lhaving a bearing on the tube 27 near the mounting plate.

A gear-case 3l is detachably mounted on the bottom of the mounting plate by means of a surrounding flange at its upper end, and journaled in bearings in the gear-case and in a removable 'cover 32 thereofv is a crankshaft 33 havinga beveled'gear 34 sph'ned thereon and capable ofbeing moved jby a clutch yoke 35 into mesh with the beveled pinion. 29, but receiving the thrust of a coiled vspring3`6 around the vcrank-shaft between it loo 5 worm wheel 39, which is keyed on a shaft 40 the vertical shaft and is mounted to turn in a' having-a bearing in the lower part of the gear-case 32, the throw of the crank being greater'than the throw of the wrist-pin so that revolutions of the latter produce only oscillations of the former. The worm wheel 39 meshes with a worm 41 on a worm-shaft 42 journaled in bearings in the opposite walls of the gear-case and said worm-shaft is connected by a shaft coupling 43 with the shaftof an electric motor 44 mounted on an insulating base 45, which, in turn, is mounted on a bracket 46 detachably connected to the bottom of thegear-case. A

The electric motor, which is controlled by any convenient switch, not shown, thus serves to drive the'worm shaft and, through the worm gearing, also drives the shaft 40 for the wringer mechanism to be later described, and causes the oscillation of crankshaft 33 to effect a reciprocal drive of the impeller 30 at times when the beveled gearing connection is in mesh.

. The wringer drive-shaft 40 is surrounded by. the tubular bracket or housing 47 mounted on the side of the gear-case 31, said shaft being journaled at the outer end of the bracket where it is connected by intermeshing beveled gears 48 with the vertical shaft 49, which is also journaled'in the bracket. A removable cover 50 is provided for' the gear chamber in which the beveled gears 48 are located, and an enclosing tube 51 surrounds the vertical shaft.

An upper gear housing 52 has a downwardly extending tubular portion 53, which loosely surrounds the enclosing tube 51 of wringer support sleeve 54, which is firmly secured in a hollow integral projection of .the container 15. As the parts are fitted and assembled for attachment to the container the convenient means for securing the wringer support sleeve 54 within the hollow projection 55 consists of a filling 560i lead or other low temperature fusing metal. The mechanism attached to the mounting plate 23 and all assembled and fitted for operation may thus be readily attached to the container by securing said. mounting plate in place in the bottom of the receptacle and then securing the wringer support sleeve in place in the projection 55 by pouring molten metal between them.

The upper gear housing 52 supports a wringer 57, the shaft 58 of which is connected by a coupling 59 with a shaft 60 journaled in the housing and bearinga beveled pinion 61. A vertical shaft 62, also journaled in the housing and connected by coupling 89 with verticalshaft 49 has loosely mounted on it beveledpinions 63 and 64 in mesh with pinion 61 and bearing clutch teeth, by means of which one or Athe other may. be engaged.

with the vertical shaft 62 by a toothed grooved clutch sleeve 65 splined on the vertical shaft 62.I The clutch sleeve is raised or lowered by means of an eccentrically positioned pin 66 on the enlarged shouldered end of a clutch shaft 67, which is journaled through a cover 68 of the upper gear housing 52, the projectmg end of said shaft having a transverse clutch shaft is detained by a spring-pressed ball 71 in the casing cover engaging Vvgrooves in the enlarged end of the clutch shaft. It will be understood that in the central. or upright position of the handle the clutch sleeve is in its central or neutral position out of clutching engagement with either of the pinions 6 3 or 64 and consequently the wringer is idle, buttthat in the other positions shown in dotted lines the wringer is in gear and is driven in the direction indicated by said handle. Ai latch 72 is pivotally mounted on the gear-case cover 68 and is urged by a coiled spring 73 so that its lower end is pressed inwardly. Said end enters registering notches 74-in the engaged flanges of the wringer. support sleeve 54 and the upper gearhousing 52 to lock the wringer in any ofthe usual predetermined angular positions therefor and the upper end of the latch 72 is sopositioned with respect to the handle 70 that a projection 75 of the latter will engage it and. force lit inwardly against the pressure of spring 73 to move the llatch to the dotted line position shownin Fig. 5 and release the wringer to permit it to turn from.

one angular position to another when the handle member 70 is swung outwardly to its dotted line position in said figure. Inasmuch as the projection 475 of the handle 7 0 is only in position to release the latch 72 when said handle is in the neutral or upright position, it is obvious that the angular position lof lthe wringer can only be changed when the wringer drive is disconnected and, in order to pre vent the clutch from being operated when the wringer is being moved from one position to another orwhen itis in any angular position otherrthan the predetermined positions for which notches 74 are provided, the handle 70 is provided with a pair of lugs 76 to enga-ge on either side of the upper end of latch 72 when said latch is notengaged in the notches 74. This is the condition shown in Fig. 7, where, Vbecause of the wringer being in an angular position other than one of the predetermined operative positions therefor,

the latch 72, beingunable to fit in a notch 7 4 of the liange of the wringer support sleeve 54, is held by said ange in a position that sleeve 54 and at its lower end in a projection 78 from the tubular bracket 47, said rod being'turned by a handle 79 on its upper end and carrying a cam 80. at its lower end engaged by the end of a rod 81, which passes through the gear-case 31 and engages the clutch vyoke 35 for moving it to cause the beveled gear 34 to become engaged or disengaged from the pinion 29 and thus control the operation of the agitator 30. The rod 81 is preferably provided with an adjusting nut 82 for varying its effective length a'nd therebykobtain the desired throw of the clutch yo e. v

A drain connection 83-is formed in the gear housing Sland communicates with an opening in the mounting plate 23 and discharges through a hose 84 to drain the water from the container l5, said hose during the operation' of the machine having its upper end supported by engaging a hook 85 thereon in a projection 86 on the wringer support sleeve 54, as shown in Fig. 5.

For draining the gear-case 31 a 87 is provided, which projects through a central opening in the spider 22 Aand has a plug 88 in its end, which may be -removed'for this purpose.

The gear-case and its attached motor bracket form a unit assembly which may be readily applied' to thecontainer whether the container constitutes a "separate receptacle, as shown, or a part of a'combination plumbing fixture such as a combination sink and washing machine. Thus these unit assembliesmay be made' up without regard to the nature of the container with which they areto be used, making for convenience and economy in manufacture The addition of the wringr shaft 40 and its tubular bracket 47 in the A event of the unit drive mechanism being ap- 'propriated for use with a washing machine of the type shown constitutes a simple, inexpensive operation and theassembled parts may readily 'be attached .to the .container by the adapting tit of the mounting plate therewith and the adapting connection by meansv of the lead filler 56, as described.

drain tube What I claim' as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.` Driving mechanism for a'washing machine having a container with an opening m the bottom and a mounting plate for said opening, comprlsing a gear-case ysecured to' thef bottom of the mounting plate, a bracket on the gear-case, a motor mounted on the bracket, a worm shaft extending across the gear-case and mounted in bearings in opposite walls thereof and driven by the motor,

a vertical impeller shaft passing through the v mounting plate in the same vertical plane as the worm shaft, a pinion on the impeller shaft, a worm wheel suitably mounted in the gear-case in said plane land meshing with the the crank shaft on the other side of-said vertical plane and meshing with the pinionof the impeller shaft, a yoke pivotally mounted in the 'gear-case and engaging the beveled gear, and means passing through vthe wall of the gear-case for swinging the yoke. n l' 2. Driving mechanism for a washing ma# chme having a contalner wlth an opening in the bottom and/ at mounting plate for said opening, comprising in combination with said plate, an impeller shaft extending therethrough and provided with a beveled pinion on its end, a gear-case secured to the mounting plate, a removable cover on one side of the gear-case, a bracket secured to the gearcase, a motor mounted on the bracket, a worm-shaft extending across the gear-case in the vertical plane of the impellershaft .and connected with the motor, a shaft extending through one wall of the gear-case, a worm wheel thereon in the said vertical plane and meshing with the worm, awrist-pin on the worm wheel, a crank shaft-jurnaled in the cover plate andthe opposite wall ofthe gearcase and havin than` the wrist-pin, a connecting rod connecting the crank with 'the wrist-pin at one side of said vertical plane, a beveled gear wheel s lined on the crank shaft on the a crank'of greater. throw other si e of said vertical plane and meshing with the pinion, and means passing through the wall ofv vthe gear-case vfor.n 1ovi'ng the beveled gear on the crank shaft. l

3. Driving mechanism for a washing machine having@A container with' an opening in the bottom' 'and a projectiony at thei side and amounting plate for said opening, comprisin in combination withsaidplate, an impe er shaft extending therethrough and provided with a beveled pinion on its enda gear-case secured to the mounting plate, a

bracket on the gear-case, a motor mounted on the bracket, a worm shaft extending across 5'the gear-case and mounted in bearin in opposite walls thereof and driven bythe motor, a tubular angular casing extension .secured to the casing, a second shaft and a vertical shaft journaled in said casing exten- Asion and geared together, a Worm wheel on the second shaft in the gear-case meshing with the Worm, a Wrist-pin on the Worm wheel, a crank-shaft journaled across the gear-case, a connecting rod connecting the crank of the crank shaft with the wrist-pin of the Worm Wheel, a beveled gear .Wheel splined on the crank shaft and meshing with the pinion of the impeller shaft, means pass- Ving through the Wall of the gearcase for moving the beveled gear on the crankshaft, the end of the casing extension containing the vertical shaft tting Within an opening in the projection at the side of the container, a ypoured metal filling between said casing extension and the walls of the opening in the projection from the side of the container, and means mounted onsaid casing extension and ivng driving connection with the vertical 4. Driving mechanism for a washing machine having a container with a projection at the side and an opening in the bottom and a mounting plate for said opening, compris?V ing in combination with said plate, an im peller shaft mounted therein and provided with a beveled pinion on its end, a gear-case secured to the mounting plate, a motor-*driven crank shaft in the gear-case, a beveled gear splined on the crank shaft and meshing with the beveled pinion, a clutch yoke pivotally mounted in the gear-:case and engaging the beveled gear, an angular'tubular casing extension secured to the ear-case, a second shaft and a vertical sha journaled therein and geared together and having motor driving connection in the gear-case, a horizontal rod variable in length passing through the Wall of the' gear-case and engaging the clutch' yoke, a clutch rod mounted in a vertical por` tion ofthe angular casing extension, a cam. thereon bearing on the horizontal rod for operating the clutchyoke, and a handle on' the clutch rod, said angular casing extension having its upwardly extending portion secured to the side projection of the container.

ANTON FRANK BRGTZ.

so v@ ion 

